Control system and apparatus



Aug. 25, 1925.

s. B. SCHENCK ET AL CONTROL SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed June so, 1925 WITNESSES:

' yam v a WJW ATTbRNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1925..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. SCHENCK, OF WILKINSBURG, AND FREDERICK W. MOCLOSKEY, OF EDGE WOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS 'I'O WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANU- FAGTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROL SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

Application filed June 30, 1923. Serial Ho. 648,782.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL B. SCHENCK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and FREDERICK W. MCCLOSKEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control Systems and Apparatus, of which the following is a.

specification.

Our invention relates to control systems and apparatus and it has special relation to systems of control employed in a two-car train in which both cars are motorized.

An object of our invention is to provide a system of control of the above-mentioned character in which provision is made, upon breaking apart of the trail car from the leading car in the train, for dynamically braking the motor of the trail car if the trail car starts in a reverse direction, that is, starts to run backwardly downa hill, for example. I

Another object of our invention is to provide a system of the above-mentioned char; acter in which the apparatus employed is of simple character and positive in operation.

These and other objects of our invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a view, in elevation, of a twocar train arranged in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a view, in section, of part of the' apparatus shownin Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig.4 is a diagrammatic view of a control system organized in accordance with our invention.

motorized trail car 2 are shown. A coupling device 3 serves to mechanically connect the cars 1 and 2. A plurality of motors 4 and 5 are shownfor driving the cars 1 and 2, respectively. The motor 5 of the trail car 2 is connected through a conductor cable or conduit 8, train-line jumper 11 and conductor cable or conduit 6 to the motor 4 of the leading car 1. A controller and resistor,

Referring to Fig. 1, a motor car 1 and such as are used in any well-known control having an aperture 15, the member 145 being suitably secured to the rear end of the motor car 1 (as illustrated in Fig. 1), a cylindrical sleeve 16 and a partition of insulating material 18. The partition 18 is provided with a plurality of contact members 19 and 20 of conducting material. The central portion of the insulating member 18 is constructed .receptacle'12 and a jumper head 13. The receptacle 12 comprises a base member 14:

in the form of an elongated plug 21 and serves to further support the contact members 19 and 20. .A plurality of connectors 22 and 23 are secured in any convenient manner, such as by bolts 24, to the contact vmembers 19 and 20, respectively.

A plurality of insulated conductors 7 which are included in the conductor cable or conduit 6, are inserted through the aperture 15 of the base member 14 and their ends secured in any convenient manner -to con nectors 23 and 22, respectively. The insulating member or partition 18 is inserted in the cylinder 16, being positioned therein by an annular projection 17. The cylindrical member 16 is then threaded to the base member 14 and the insulating member 18 is thus firmly secured in the receptacle 12.

The jumper head 13 comprises a base member 25 having an aperture 26 in which one end of the train-line jumper 11 is secured, a cylindrical sleeve 28 and an insulating member or partition 30. A plurality of flexible contact members 31 and 32 of any convenient spring material, such as phosphor bronze, extend through the insulating member 30. The ends of the spring contact members 31 and 32 are curved toward one sulated conductors 9, which are included in the conductor cable or conduit 8, are connected, in any convenient manner, to the connectors 33 and 34, respectively. The msulating member 30 is inserted in one end of the cylinder 28, being positioned therein byan annular projection 29 on the inside of the cylinder 28. The cylinder 28 is then threaded through the insude of the base member 25. A11 annular projection 27, on the inside of the base member 25, serves to hold the insulating member 30 firmly in place when the threads are tightened. A lid or cover 36 isv pivotally-secured to the outside of the-jumper receptacle 12 and is adaptedto close the opening thereof when the jumper head 13 is removed from the receptacle.

The .operation of our system of control is as follows. When the leading car 1 and the trail car 2 have been coupled together, the. cover member-36 of the receptacle 12 is lifted and the jumper head 13 is inserted in the receptacle 12. The contact members 31 and 32 of the-jumper head 13 are thus forced apart by the jumper head 13 has een pushed home into the receptacle 12', the contact members 31 and 32 engage the contact members 20 and 19, respectively, as shown in Fig. 2.

A circuit is thus established from a suitable control equipment' (not shown.) through the motor 4, conductor cable 6, jumper cable 11, contact members of the jumper head and receptacle, conductor cable 8 and motor 5. The two-car train is now" ready for 0 eration and the motors maybe accelerat I in the usual manner. g

If, however, upon encountering a severe upgrade or under any other conditions, the coupling 3 should break, or the cars become otherwise separated, the trail car 2 would tend to run backward down the grade. Upon separation of the trail car 2 from the leadin car 1, the train-line jumper 11, one end 0 which is secured to the trail car 2, will pull, the jumper head 13 from the jumper receptacle 12. When the jumper head 13 is thus withdrawn from the receptacle 12, the contact members 31 and 32 are disengaged from the contact members 19 and 20, thus breaking the circuit from the motor 4 in the leading car to the motor 5 1n the trail car. At the same time, the contact members 31 and 32. assume their normal position and engage one another, as illustrated -in Fig. 3, thus forming a closed circuit includin the armature 3,7 and field winding 38 of t e motor 5, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4. Any backward movement of .the trail car will then cause the motor 5 to be dynamically braked. No reversal of the field winding with respect to the armature of the motor is necessary since the rotation of the armature ina reverse directioncreates the condition necessary for dynamic braking. ;Since the armature 37 and the field winding 38 of the motor 5 are connected in series' relation, the braking tplug 21 and when the tor ue will build up as the speed of the car ten s to increase in a backward direction. The braking effect of the motor upon the wheels of the trail car will thus holdthe speed of the car in the backward direction from becoming excessive and the car may be easily brought to a stop by the usual hand brakes.

A dummy receptacle 39 is provided on one end of the trail car adjacent the train-line jumper 11 and is constructed somewhat similar to the receptacle 12 except that no contact members similar to the contact members 19 and 20 are provided. The dummy receptacle 39 is adapted toreceive the jumper head 13 in order to force the contact members 31 and 32 apart to open the dynamic braking circuit while the trail car 2 is being switched or shunted about the car barn.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a novel and inexpensive control system, for a two-car train, which will automatically reftard the speed train breaks apart while ascending a grade.

We do not wish to be restricted to the specific circuit connections or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as it is evident that many modifications thereof may be made within the spirit and scope of our invention. We deslre, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are set forth inthe appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

- 1. In a control system, the combination with a plurality of electrically connected motor driven vehicles, of means, eflective upon interruption of said electrical connection, for dynamically braking one of said vehicles.

2. In a control system, the combination with a plurality of vehicles, a motor for driving one of said vehicles, and a train line for supplying current tosaid motor, of

cans, effective upon disconnection of said train line, for dynamically braking said motor.

3. In a control system, the combination with a plurality of mechanically connected motor driven vehicles, and a train line for connecting the respective motors of said ve hicles, of means comprising a plurality of relatively movable contact members for causing dynamic braking of one of said motors upon disconnection of said train line.

4. In a control system, the combination with a motor driven vehicle, a motor driven trail car mechanically. connected thereto, and a train line for connecting the respective' motors of said vehicle and said trail car, of means, associated with said train line and effective u onsaid' trail carbreakmg away from said vehicle'andin a reverse direction, for dynamically braking the motor of said trail car.

5. A control system for a two c'ar train of the trail car in case the means effective upon breaking apart of said train for causing said contact members to close said dynamic braking circuit.

6. A control system comprising a two-car train, a motor having an armature and a A 10 field winding, for driving each of said cars,

&

a train line for connecting said motors and means for automatically connecting the armature and field winding of one of said motors in a dynamic braking circuit upon disconnection of said motors.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names this 26th day of June, 1923.

SAMUEL B. SCHENCK. FREDERICK W. MCCLOSKEY. 

